Flush ball



Jan. 3, 1939.

E. c. HALTEMAN FLUSH BALL Filed May 3, 1938 //v\//\/ 7'L7Fr. ELLEWURTH-CZHAL TEMAN.

man TTUEWEK Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to a flush ball such as is commonly used to control the discharge of liquid from a flush tank. The ordinary flush ball is of such a character and is so mounted that when it has been moved to its open position it will float on the liquid and will be automatically seated when the tank is substantially empty, suitable means being provided to guide the same to its seat.

One object of the invention is to provide a flush ball having improved guiding means which will accurately guide the same to its seat and the operation of which will not be affected by corrosion or by the accumulation of deposits thereon.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pivotal guiding device of such a character that it will permit of an ample opening movement of the flush ball and will cause the same to be accurately seated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a guiding device of such a character that it may be made of inexpensive non-corrodable material.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a flush ball which may be quickly and easily installed in or removed from a previously installed tank.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pivotal guiding device of such a character that the flush ball may be quickly and easily attached to or removed from the same without disman tling any part of the apparatus.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a flush ball which will be of a simple durable construction and may be produced at a low cost.

Other objects of the invention may appear as the device is described in detail.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a sectional view partly in elevation taken through a flush tank showing my improved flush ball installed therein with the tank partly broken away; and Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

In the drawing I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention and have shown the same as installed in a flush tank of a well known type but it will be understood that the invention may take various forms and may be installed in tanks of various kinds.

The flush tank, a portion of which is shown at 5, is provided in its bottom wall with an outlet fitting 6 having its upper end extending into the tank and flared to form a valve seat 1. An upright overflow pipe 8 is arranged within the tank adjacent to the outlet fitting and communicates therewith. The flush ball 9, which constitutes a valve member to control the flow of water through the outlet, may be of any suitable character and, as here shown, the body of the ball is of a construction somewhat similar to the ordinary flush ball but differs therefrom in some of its details. It is preferably formed of rubber having a relatively thin semi-spherical lower portion which engages the valve seat and having an upwardly tapered upper portion of a somewhat heavier and stiffer construction than the lower portion.

The flush ball 9 is pivotally connected with a suitable stationary part of the tank in such a manner that it can be moved upwardly the desired distance from the opening of the outlet and will be accurately guided to its seat as the tank empties. This pivotal guiding means may take various forms but preferably it consists of one or more arms rigidly connected with the flush ball and pivotally connected with a stationary part of the tank. In the particular construction shown the flush ball has rigidly secured thereto two substantially parallel arms it which project laterally beyond the flush ball and its seat and toward the stationary part with which it is pivotally connected. In the present installation the overflow pipe 8 is utilized as the stationary part because it is located in the proper position'for this purpose and its use simplifies the construction and avoids the use of additional parts. The arms I in the present instance are spaced apart a distance somewhat greater than the diameter of the overflow pipe and have their outer ends arranged on opposite sides of that pipe. These arms may be pivotally connected with the overflow pipe in any suitable manner but when mounted on a fixed axis the flush ball will have only a limited movement and I therefore prefer to mount the arms ill on an axis which is movable transversely to the overflow pipe in such a manner as to permit of a relatively great movement of the flush ball.

In the arrangement shown the arms ID are provided near their outer ends with bearing openings adapted to embrace pivot studs ll carried by the lower ends of arms 12 which are pivotally mounted at their upper ends on pivot members l3 projecting laterally beyond the respective sides of the overflow pipe. The pivot members, or studs I3, may be connected with the overflow pipe in any suitable manner but I prefer that they should be carried by a suitable attaching device which can be readily applied to or removed from the overflow pipe, so as to permit the flush'ball mechanism to be installed in any previously installed standard flush tank, without modification of the latter. For this purpose the pivot studs 13 are here shown as carried by a collar M which is mounted on and so secured to the overflow pipe that it will be retained in a fixed position thereon. Preferably this collar is split vertically on one side,.as shown at l5, in Fig. 2, and has suflicient resiliency to cause the same to tightly grip the pipe and to be frictionally retained in its proper position thereon.

The various parts of the flush ball mechanism are preferably formed of non-corrodible materials and they are of such a character that deposits of calcium or the like thereon will not ordinarily interfere with their operation. In the arrangement shown the arms ID are of rubber which may, if desired, be molded integral with the flush ball itself. The rubber is of sufficient hardness to prevent any substantial flexing of the arms about a horizontal axis but which will permit them to be moved laterally with relation one to the other so that they may be sprung onto the pivot studs ll, after which the resiliency of the arms will retain the same on the studs and will also retain the arms l2 on their studs l3, It will thus be apparent that one flush ball may be quickly and easily removed and another ball substituted therefor. The arms l2 and the split collar'll are preferably formed of hard rubber or similar material.

The arms I2 are preferably rigidly connected one to the other to maintain the same in parallelism and to cause them to move in unison. For this purpose I have, in the present instance, provided a yoke 2| approximately semi-circular in shape and having its ends rigidly secured to, and if desired formed integral with, the respective arms I 2. The intermediate portion of this yoke is spaced from the collar M such a distance as will permit ample movement of the arms I 2 about their pivotal axis, it being noted that the yoke is so arranged that as the arms move upwardly the yoke will pass beneath the collar l4.

Various means may be provided for moving the flush ball to its open position and. in the present instance, this means comprises a flexible member or chain [6 which is connected at its lower end with a stud l1 projecting from that side of the flush ball opposite the arms 10. This flexible member or chain is connected at its upper end with a lever l8 secured to a stud shaft l9 mounted in the wall of the tank and provided on the outer side of the tank with an operating handle 20.

When the flush tank is to be emptied the handle 20 is actuated to move the flush ball from its seat. During the first portion of this movement the arms II] will turn about their pivots II and as the upward movement of the flush ball continues the arms l2 will be moved about their pivots toward a horizontal position, thereby permitting the fiushball to be moved the desired distance. The handle 20 is of course released after the flush ball has been opened and as the tank empties the flush ball will move downwardly with the water and will be guided by the arms I!) and I2 to its seat, the arrangement of the arms being such that the semi-spherical lower portion of the flush ball will necessarily enter the valve seat and it will then be free to adjust itself to the valve seat.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details thereof as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having now fully described my invention, what Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a flush tank having an outlet provided with an upwardly facing valve seat and an upright member adjacent to said valve seat, a flush ball to engage said valve seat and close said outlet, laterally spaced arms secured to said flush ball and projecting beyond that side thereof adjacent said upright member, alined pivot members carried by and arranged on opposite sides of said upright member, arms mounted at their upper ends on said pivot members and pivotally connected at their lower ends with the respective first mentioned arms, and means for moving said flush ball from said valve seat.

2. In combination with a flush tank having an outlet provided with an upwardly facing valve seat and an upright member adjacent to said valve seat, a flush ball having a soft rubber portion to engage said valve seat, rubber arms rigidly secured to said flush ball, projecting laterally beyond the same and having openings near the outer ends thereof, arms pivotally mounted at their upper ends on said upright member, studs carried by the lower ends of the last mentioned arms and adapted to enter the openings in said rubber arms, and means for actuating said flush ball.

3. In combination with a flush tank having an outlet provided with an upwardly facing valve seat and an upright overflow pipe arranged adjacent to said valve seat, a flush ball to engage said valve seat, arms secured to said flush ball and projecting beyond that side thereof adjacent said overflow pipe, a resilient split collar mounted on and tightly gripping said overflow pipe, pivot studs projecting from the opposite sides of said collar, arms mounted on said studs and pivotally connected with the first mentioned arms, and means for moving said flush ball from its seat.

4. In combination with a flush tank having an outlet provided with a valve seat and having a stationary element adjacent said valve seat, a flush valve to engage said valve seat and close said outlet, means for connecting said flush valve with said stationary element comprising a part carried by said flush valve and pivotally connected with said stationary element on an axis which is movable with relation to said stationary element, and means for actuating said flush valve.

5. In combination with a flush tank having an outlet provided with a valve seat and having a stationary element adjacent said valve seat, a flush valve to engage said valve seat and close said outlet, a member secured to said flush valve and extending laterally therefrom, a second member pivotally mounted on said stationary element and pivotally connected with the first mentioned member at a point spaced from its point of connection with said stationary element, and means for actuating said flush valve.

6. In combination with a flush tank having an outlet provided with an upwardly facing valve seat and an upright element adjacent to said valve seat, a flush valve to engage said valve seat and close said outlet, a member secured to said flush valve and projecting laterally therefrom, a second member mounted on said upright element for movement about an axis transverse to said element, extending downwardly from said axis and pivotally connected at its lower end with the first mentioned member, and means for moving said flush valve from said valve seat.

ELLSWORTH C. HALTEMAN. 

